


Ficlet Challenge: Day 11 - Fear

by a1_kitkat



Series: February-Ficlet-Challenge-2021 [11]
Category: Prodigal Son (TV 2019)
Genre: February Ficlet Challenge, Ficlet, Friendship/Love, M/M, My First Work in This Fandom, Not Beta Read, Protective Gil, Reckless Malcolm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-15
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-23 15:33:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30057642
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/a1_kitkat/pseuds/a1_kitkat
Summary: After a bad case, Gil drives Malcolm home. But instead of reprimanding him, he spills some truths.
Relationships: Gil Arroyo/Malcolm Bright
Series: February-Ficlet-Challenge-2021 [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2137701
Comments: 1
Kudos: 9
Collections: February Ficlet Challenge 2021: Apocalypse No





	Ficlet Challenge: Day 11 - Fear

It had been a long, silent, awkward drive back to the station. Gil’s fingers curled around the steering wheel with such tension that his knuckles were whiter than white. Malcolm sat in the passenger seat, watching and waiting… Waiting for him to say something,  _ anything _ . He was certain he was going to get reprimanded for his actions but it hadn’t happened yet. 

Gil wasn’t one to drag it out, usually preferring to just get it over with. Malcolm stared down at his own hands, at the bloodstains beneath his fingertips and realized his hands were shaking, trembling. Is that why Gil hadn’t laid into him yet? Had he seen the effect this case had had on him before he’d even noticed himself?

He continued staring at the traces of blood, his eyes unfocused, fingers trembling before his very eyes. Malcolm didn’t even notice when they drove right past the station. Were several blocks from his apartment before he realized that Gil was actually taking him home.

Malcolm was too tired to argue, to demand they finish the case properly. He knew if he tried, Gil would just overrule him and the older man was the one behind the wheel, the one in charge.

Gil pulled over, his hands still gripping the wheel. Malcolm reached down and unbuckled his own seatbelt. Neither of them had said a word to each other since they’d climbed in. Malcolm extended his hand towards the car door, to open it but he heard the lock click and paused. Gil wasn’t going to let him go so easily. He sighed and leaned back in the seat, waiting for the inevitable.

“If you wanna tell me I screwed up, go right ahead,” Malcolm started. “But I  _ didn’t _ … I mean, I did in the sense of ‘not following protocol’ but this isn’t the first time I’ve… Gone off book, so to speak. You knew what I was like when you hired me; you’ve reprimanded me more times than I can count but you  _ know me _ , you  _ trust  _ me, you know I get the results you need!”

“Malcolm, you’re hot-headed and you’re reckless,” Gil started. “You might not care about endangering yourself but there are other people on this team, other officers that could get caught in the crossfire of your irrational behavior.”

Malcolm released his grasp of the door handle but continued to stare down at his hands. He’d heard it all before, was fairly certain Gil had read him the entire reprimand handbook by this stage. 

“Don’t you get it, Malcolm?” Gil whispered. His entire tone had shifted into one of defeat. “I don’t know how much longer I can watch you run headfirst into danger, certain death, before…”

“I get it, you promised my mother you’d keep me safe and I keep making it near impossible for you to do that,” Malcolm said, his voice equally as tired and soft.

“This has  _ nothing  _ to do with your mother, Malcolm,” Gil paused. “Or maybe it does…”

He reached up and rubbed the bridge of his nose. Malcolm continued to examine his profile, the worry lines upon his face… More than had been there a year ago, he was sure.

“Gil?” Malcolm had seen him like this before and immediately hated that his actions had caused such strife for the older man. Without thinking, he reached for Gil’s other hand and guided it away from the steering wheel.

Fingers now entwined, all Gil could see was the blood on Malcolm’s hands. A frightening reminder of how close a call it had been… If things had gone differently, Malcolm wouldn’t be sitting beside him right now, wouldn’t be holding his hand. A simple touch was all it had taken for the tension to slowly begin to seep from Gil’s body as he sat, staring at their clasped hands.

“If you haven’t figured it out by now…” Gil paused. “I guess you’re not quite the brilliant profiler I thought you were…” 

Malcolm’s eyes darted from their entwined hands up to re-examine Gil’s profile. His head was bowed, eyes still fixed on their hands. Malcolm’s heart skipped a nervous beat. He  _ wasn’t _ saying what he thought he was saying… Was he?

He couldn’t think about the possibility, couldn’t allow himself to get his hopes up, to entertain the very idea that Gil might feel the same way…

“Gil, I never wanted you to  _ worry  _ about me,” he whispered.

“I do nothing  _ but _ worry,” Gil confessed. “Bright…  _ Malcolm _ .”

“I swear, I don’t do these things to hurt you-”

“Yeah, I know but on days like this, cases like  _ these _ , I can’t help but let the fear seep in.”

“The fear? Gil, you’re the strongest, bravest, most  _ fearless _ person I’ve ever met!”

“Don’t you get it, Malcolm? It’s the fear of losing you that strikes me hardest.”

“Losing me…” he repeated. “Because my mom would kill you…”

“It would kill me, too,” Gil whispered. His voice soft, gentle, and nervous. “Malcolm, I care about you so much… Like… Too much. I mean… I…”

“ _ Gil _ ,” Malcolm swallowed, nervously. He carefully reached for his other hand but as he leaned closer, their eyes met.

Gil slowly raised his hand, softly caressed Malcolm’s cheek. He closed his eyes and Gil moved in, closing the distance between them. Their lips met in a single kiss and for a moment everything was perfect.

They eventually parted and looked into each other’s eyes.

“Now I  _ really  _ can’t bear the thought of losing you,” Gil whispered.

“I think you should come inside and we can talk… or not,” Malcolm replied.

“I’d love to come inside and  _ talk _ .”

They both climbed out of the car, Malcolm took hold of Gil’s hand and slowly ushered him inside. The nervous fear was evident in his voice as he asked Gil to stay the night. Gil simply pulled Malcolm into his arms, kissed him and promised he wasn’t going anywhere.

  
  
  



End file.
